Aces Suffer Injury Blow to Smith

Aces Suffer Injury Blow to Smith

Article excerpt

BELLE Vue go into the second leg of their Knock Out Cup clash with Swindon 11 points down after a 50-39 defeat at the Abbey Stadium.

Already without Craig Cook, after the skipper withdrew at the 11th hour, the Rentruck Aces were cut to just five men after only two heats following a nasty spill for the in-form Jack Smith, who was whisked off to hospital with a finger injury.

Despite being depleted, Belle Vue were down just six points after Heat 8, but couldn't hold out and will have to come from behind at the NSS next week.

And despite facing the daunting task of recovering such a hefty deficit at home, team boss Mark Lemon could only praise his riders for their grit and determination.

He said: "The boys showed a lot of commitment despite the circumstances, and even though they were considerably under power, they never let the Robins get away. …